The Undying Man - Heroic Vol.1

Prologue

The annihilation of the city had begun.

Pillars of fire burned bright and endless, spewing forth thickened arms of smoke and ash which spiralled up slowly into the passing clouds, their dense formations casting patches of darkness over the red sky.

The city had become a graveyard of concrete monuments. Skyscrapers and stadiums had all been reduced to nothing more than indistinguishable piles of rubble. Entire neighbourhoods had been destroyed in an instant.

The citizens were lost in a drunken frenzy of panic and fear, and the streets ran rampant with hordes of the hysterical people. The shouts and screams were so numerous and constant that they formed a single, neverending hum - their song; a chorus of terror that flooded the skyline.

FHWOOM! A flying beast shot through the highest levels of the skyscrapers. With a beat of its wings it sent a burst of cool air gushing across the rooftops. The beast was closely pursued by a savage entity bathed in flames. It thrashed and clawed again and again, overcome by a furious hunger as it struggled to seize its prey, its determination unmatched, its focus unbreakable.

SMASH! Another building trembled violently as a being of immense strength drove his fist through the solid foundation. Standing at the base of the structure, a wave of falling debris threatened to crash down upon him. He was spared only by the intervention of another, who prevented the rubble from ever reaching the ground. Upon realising the threat had been neutralised he quickly jumped away, getting right back into the fight.

Blinding explosions of light flashed across the smoky skies, the patter of gunshots rang out in the distance like the shower of rain.

Complete anarchy. Total chaos. This was the force which had come to overwhelm the city and consume the minds within. The destruction of their world - of their very reality – had arrived. They were about to lose it all. They were about to lose everything. As homes and lives were obliterated, it was clear to many that the end had come. All that was important to them, all that they held dear, all that mattered in the world, would soon be gone.

And all the while - on the highest floor, at the peak of the tallest building - there stood two.

From the pinnacle of a spiralling structure that almost reached up into the clouds they had a clear view of the destruction. Though it wasn’t the city they had eyes for. It wasn’t the city that captivated them.

He could not take his eyes off her. Her face was a complete and utter mess, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Tears fell down her soft cheeks - sore and reddened from the endless tears she had shed. But it was not sadness that drove her body too such powerful distress. It was excitement. It was her nerves. Her mind was alive with anticipation, forcing her heart race and thunder, as if the storm of emotions inside her chest were about to explode at any moment. The feelings clawed with desperation to escape from their fragile prison.

He wanted to touch her. He wanted to pull her close, to feel her on him, to feel her skin on his.

So he did.

Reaching around her side, he placed his fingers firmly behind her, drawing her closer. The touch of his fingertips sent shockwaves firing all over her body, across her back and down through her legs. The tingling sensation curled at the ends of her toes as the air evacuated her lungs. She gasped in elation and struggled to catch her breath.

She wanted to be even closer to him. A single step away was too far, and entwined like snakes was barely enough - but it was something, and it was all they had. Still, she wanted more. She wanted to be around him, to taste every inch of his muscular form - to be a part of him.

As they touched they were consumed by a deep burning sensation, flooding every section of their bodies.

This was it. This is what they wanted. They had no attention to spare for the world around them, no focus for their surroundings.

A blush in her cheeks and a smile on her lips. God. Did she understand what she did with that smile? Did she even know a thing?

She looked up into his eyes. Did he know? Did he have any idea how that look made her feel? Did he understand how much he was touching her - all over and undeniably – without even lifting a finger?

He laid his palm across her chest, resting it over her heart. If only he could set fire to it. If only he could make her feel what was inside his heart, what was inside his own. As it was, he would have to use other means to make her feel - to make her understand. Fortunately, he was resourceful.

A ghost of a laugh escaped her lips. She shook her head slowly.

“What?” he asked. His voice was smooth and deep and warm. Warm enough to melt her very core.

She didn’t want to say a word. She didn’t want to distract from the moment. Everything was passing by so quickly. Far too quickly.

He kissed her neck, and she gasped.

She traced her lips over his chest, and he exhaled deeply.

He pulled her lips away, but kept her close as he repeated himself. “What’s so funny?”

Slowly, she peeked up at him, the dark of her pupils yearning for his comfort, for his assurance. “I just… all of this.”

"What about it?" he said, soft and kind.

"I'm... I'm sorry - for all of it. For everything. I'm sorry..."

He cupped his hands around her face and drew her close, so as to lose himself within her eyes. “Prove it,” he said, flashing her a smile.

He spied a twinkle somewhere inside her gaze. It was only for a moment, a moment so short he could not be certain it had even occurred. But it was soon accompanied by a curl from the edge of her lips - confirming her intention.

They were done talking.

Their embrace resumed with even greater hunger and intensity and even greater need.

Their selfishness: completely justified and without shame.

Their reasons, their motivation: unquestionable.

For they, of course, had very little time left.